My Day at Ivy Field

Well Folks, it was quite the day at Ivy Field for some riveting Northwestern Softball here at Regionals. After calling a disappointing 3-2 loss to Notre Dame during the noon game alongside Dan Platt, Howard, Dan and I ventured with our colleagues from NNN and The Daily Andrew Linnehan and Paul Tenorio to a local Wendy's for some lunch. As usual, I used absolutely no judgment and ordered the Big Bacon Classic. More on that later. Upon returning to Ivy Field, I felt it necessary to track my whereabouts while Dan and Howard prepared and eventually called Northwestern vs. Louisville. Now, my day at Ivy Field, post-4:00pm...

4:04pm - Eileen Canney and Courtnay Foster sit in the seats up the third base line plotting the next game. I bet they were criticizing the Louisville pitcher's choice of socks. Because I was.

4:08pm - SUNY Albany parents ridicule the umpire because of his strike zone. Typical.

4:18pm - Howard and I decide to take a walk around the facility. We are sticky in all the wrong places.

4:36pm - I exchange pleasantries with Linnehan and Tenorio while they play catch. I show that I still have an arm, contrary to popular belief.

5:15pm - In the bottom of the 7th, after trailing by two runs, Louisville ties the game with a two-run shot. The next batter followed with a game-winning bomb. I think Louisville has some momentum going into the elimination game with the Wildcats.

5:30pm - The scoreboard operator sees me in the press tent with Dan's laptop and asks if it is my turn to blog. Thanks for not accusing me of stealing sir. Anyway, I change my blogging plans out of embarassment. This has gone too far.

5:41pm - NU rightfielder Sheila McCorkle is announced as "Sheila McRay." No Respect!

5:45pm - 1st pitch, Northwestern vs. Louisville... Ball 1 to Churchwell

5:47pm - A conference on the mound with the Louisville pitcher, coach and the umpire. It might have been about Dan Platt's orange shirt.

5:50pm - Courtnay Foster toes the rubber for the 'Cats. We will not go down without a fight.

5:59pm - Kristen Amegin breaks up the UL no-hitter with a base hit in the top of the 2nd. You can cancel the post-game show folks.

6:13pm - The first parent-led cheer of "NU, NU, GO 'CATS!!!"I pulled up my dress socks and spit on the bleachers I was so psyched. The Notre Dame usher took some exception to this.

6:21pm - The purest definition of Ozzie-Ball according to Northwestern: a single, a walk and two UL errors brings us a 2-0 NU lead in the 3rd. ONIONS!!!

6:24pm - Garland "Dimaggio" Cooper laces another RBI double. 3-0 'Cats.

6:45pm - I head to the press box to check on my colleagues Dan Platt and Howard Tilman. Dan is bouncing around the press box trying to find the perfect view while Howard sits stoicly at the table like the "Godfather."

6:49pm - Foster makes her first mistake in 13 innings of work. 3-1 NU. That bomb nearly took out the ambulance in left-center.

7:03pm - Another Cooper RBI hit. CBS' Gus Johnson may have called it like this: "Now the pitch to Cooper, line drive base hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!

7:08pm - Louisville drops a Dotson fly ball in center. Muchas Gracias. NU leads 6-1. Coach Pitino cannot help this team.

7:12pm - While sitting at the SID's table behind home plate, a Notre Dame player invites her coach to come see a 7:55 showing of "Monster-in-Law." Glad to see the Irish are more focused on Jane Fonda and not Courtnay Foster. This could cost them.

7:20pm - Looking at Touchdown Jesus in the sunlight makes for quite the moment. Though, I would much rather see a giant painting of Charlie Weis...except without the $2.50 haircut, and the large spare tire.

7:23pm - Katie Logan is hotter than the pollo chipotle Frank Tormey ate in Tucson over spring break. This is baseball speak for being on a hitting tear. Tack on another run via a Churchwell double and NU leads 8-1.

7:35pm - The homerun hitting terror from UL struck again with a 250 ft. blast, this time almost taking out a BMW. A six-run lead seems safe, right?

7:43pm - Our Lacrosse guy Frank Tormey checks in from Baltimore, MD, at a Phillies-Orioles game at the beautiful Camden Yards. What I would give for a Boog's Beef Sandwich in Baltimore. It is supple and delicious, regardless of what my stomach says.

7:44pm - From the WNUR studio, engineer Greg Bobak checks in and tells our play-by-play man Dan Platt to go to Hades after Dan complained about the time change when he was in Hawaii. Dan is come friend, eh?

*Quick update, after nearly 4 hours, Ray is holding a slim lead over the Big Bacon Classic, but the Classic is a late night performer.

7:58pm - BALLGAME!!! Northwestern 8, Louisville 2.

Tune into WNUR Sports and sports.wnur.org tomorrow afternoon for what hopefully will be a pair of Northwestern wins over the fighting Charlie Weis'. Two wins and hello Regionals.

...Oh well hello to you, Mr. Classic.